General Zaroff The Most Dangerous Game

General Zaroff: Hunting for Havoc Charles Darwin's theory, survival of the fittest, is a mechanism that revolves around animals having to adapt to their environment in order to survive. This theory also relates to how people respond to situations in their everyday life. Often humans react to certain situations only considering how it will affect them. The end result blinds people and they will stop at nothing to achieve that goal. For Zaroff, he sees every part of life as a game that ends only in victory for him. Win after win, he gains an addictive sensation of endless satisfaction which makes him ruthless and cold-blooded. Throughout “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, Zaroff uses many traps to imprison shipwrecked sailors on his

He uses his knowledge to his advantage when strategically stalking his game. Zaroff states that in order to be hunted “ it must have courage, cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason” (70). These are just a few of the attributes that make up the most dangerous game that he is willing to hunt. However, this is ironic because no animal has these abilities which is why he goes after humans. Killing innocent sailors goes against the reasoning and principles of any human being. Zaroff's way of trapping sailors is unique, he would press a button and the water channel would show “... giant rocks with razor edges crouch[ing] like a sea monster with wide-opened jaws. They crush a ship as easily as [he] can crush a walnut…” (71). He uses his analytical mind to plan every step of the hunt so in no way is he outsmarted. Zaroff sees himself as the most intelligent and fascinating hunter who keeps searching for a defiant game. There is no animal to cure his satisfaction so “[he has] to invent a new animal to hunt” (69). His idea of a vigorous hunt is one that involves humans. This way he is able to out reason and outwit his captives. This is similar to people in their daily lives doing whatever they can just to survive. People tend to push others to their breaking point mentally and physically just to make themselves feel better, which

First, he welcomes Rainsford into his home by connecting with him on a personal level by stating that “I [am reading] [Rainsford’s] book about hunting snow leopards in Tibet…” (66). This connection Zaroff is able to make with Rainsford in one of their first encounters that starts their deadly game. Often people see this same game in life, gaining a sense of trust with each other which will ultimately lead to heartbreak. Zaroff invites Rainsford to stay in his home, just to try and kill him later. Zaroff does all of these fatal games just to never take credit for them. For example, he blames the shipwrecked sailors on “... an angry god of the high seas...” (71). He knows he is in the wrong but fails to admit to any of his wrongdoings making him untrustworthy. This is seen in the daily lives of normal people too. People will lie and cheat just to get something they desire. Zaroff can be seen sharing similar traits with normal people. They may not kill innocent humans, but they go through many obstacles just to be deceitful to their peers. Zaroff uses his tricks again and again to Rainsford by saying that “[he] refuses to believe that such a modern and civilized young man as [he] seem[s] to harbor romantic ideas about the value of human life. Surely [his] experiences in the war...” (70). Zaroff assumes Rainsford would have similar feelings toward the situation since he